A Starry Night Song
by A Girl Named Ed
Summary: ...in prose, being a Ghost Story of the Starry Night Festival.  A Christmas Carol with Sunshine Islands characters.  Vaughn as Scrooge.  You'll have to read to see who else plays what parts!  In honour of Christmas time.  *COMPLETE*
1. Stave 1: Taro's Ghost

**...Please don't kill me.  
I know I'm supposed to be on hiatus right now, but, well, this story is actually already written. Seriously, I wrote it about a year ago. And since it's a Christmas-y story, and I won't have Internet closer to Christmas, I'm posting it now, one chapter a day. _A Starry Night Song_ started on Ushi No Tane, a Harvest Moon fansite, and eventually spread to my deviantart account, and now it's here. O.o Apparently it's rather popular.  
In short, it's based on _A Christmas Carol_ by Charles Dickens, which is my favourite book of all time. (It's just so funny and sad and awesome!) It's a Sunshine Islands fic, with Vaughn playing the part of everyone's favourite miser. There will be several references to things that happen in the books and in certain movie adaptations. For example, each chapter will be called a 'Stave,' which is what the chapters in the original novella were called, and their titles will be based on the stave titles as well.  
It's time to play "Spot the Original Line," kids! There is one line from the original novel in each stave. It will be revealed at the end of the stave, and those who get it right can reward themselves with a cookie. *small print-the author takes no responsibility for parents getting angry at their child(ren) for the taking of a cookie without asking*  
Okay, I'll stop talking now.  
*Disclaimer: I don't own anything.***

Vaughn stepped off the boat onto the dock and glanced around him. It was late on Winter 23–a Sunday this year–and he was, once again, on the Sunny Islands. Sprout Island, to be exact. He hoisted his bag on his shoulder and began the long walk to the hotel.

Vaughn had started staying at the hotel instead of Mirabelle's shop ever since Julia and Elliot got married and Julia had moved out. He felt bad for leaving Mirabelle on her own, but she kept trying to 'mother' Vaughn. Carol, the innkeeper, didn't, and that suited Vaughn just fine. He lived in the room that Lily had lived in before she married Will and moved in with him.

He blew on his hands to keep them warm as he trudged along. As he approached Regis's mansion, he quickened his pace and silently prayed that Sabrina wasn't visiting her father. Thankfully, the Harvest Goddess seemed to be on his side, and he breezed by without incident. Vaughn had been avoiding Sabrina as much as possible ever since she'd married Mark. It seemed like everyone around him was happy (except Regis, who never was), and most of them had 'significant others,' too.

Lanna and Denny. Lily and Will. Pierre and Natalie. Even Eliza and Charlie, older now and more mature every time Vaughn saw them, were shy and awkward around each other.

Vaughn's thoughts were interrupted by a cry of, "Uncle Vaughn!" He raised his head and saw Julia and Elliot's son, Joseph, jumping up and down in front of the hotel, waving wildly. Joseph had been born about seven years ago, about a year before Elliot's grandfather, Taro, died. Because Julia regarded Vaughn as a 'big brother,' Joseph thought of him as his uncle.

Vaughn didn't mind. Joseph was one of the few people Vaughn got along with. When he reached his 'nephew,' he picked him up, dropping his bag, and lifted him into the air, not without some effort, of course.

"Joseph, you get bigger every week," he laughed. Goddess, it felt good to laugh. It felt like he hadn't in years. "What's Grandma Felicia feeding you?"

Joseph made a disgusted face. "Vegetables."

"Veggies!" Vaughn set him down. "Of all things . . . " Vaughn had never liked vegetables. Especially carrots.

"Uncle Vaughn, Mommy wants you to come over for dinner tomorrow cuz it's the Starry Night Festival," Joseph said. "You gonna come?"

Vaughn picked up his bag and looked at the blonde boy. "I don't think I can make it. Sorry, kiddo."

Joseph pouted. "Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease?"

"I'll see." Vaughn had no intentions of going. He planned on balancing his books and doing inventory on Winter 24.

"Okay. I gotta go or Daddy'll be worried. Bye Uncle Vaughn! Happy Starry Night!" The boy ran off with a wave.

Vaughn checked into the hotel and dumped his bag in his room before heading for Chelsea's room. Chelsea was the only other person he really got along with. She lived in the hotel, in the room next to his. After they chatted (well, Chelsea chatted, mostly) for a few minutes, Vaughn left, giving the excuse that he was tired.

As he unlocked the door to his room, he happened to glance at the number. Room 203. He glanced back at the lock, which was not cooperating, and he was wrestling with the doorknob when a ghostly glow began . . . well, glowing above his head. Vaughn looked up and yelped.

The sign that had read '203' was gone, replaced instead by an old man's head. He was bald and very angry.

"T-Taro?" Vaughn whispered, reaching toward it.

Suddenly it was gone, and Chelsea was looking out from her room, asking if he was all right.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sorry. Stubbed my toe," he mumbled. With a final glance at the number, he opened the door, waved to Chelsea, and walked into the room.

You wouldn't think Vaughn the type to flop, but he flopped onto his bed and stared at the ceiling. Thoughts were swirling around in his head. _Why did Taro's head appear like that? Am I going crazy? I should just pretend it didn't happen, I guess._

He felt better once he had a plan of action, such as it was, and he sat up. He dug through his bag, searching for the thermos of porridge he'd packed. Vaughn hadn't eaten for twelve hours, and he was _hungry_.

As he wolfed the food down, he happened to glance at the calendar opposite him on the wall. Winter 24 was circled in bold red, and a bright yellow star was drawn on it. The porridge suddenly turned sour in his mouth, but Vaughn swallowed it anyway, along with the lump forming in his throat. He shook his head to clear it, blinking back angry tears. _This is stupid. The Starry Night Festival is only good for people who have someone to celebrate it with. Like, a girlfriend or someone. Who do I have? I've got no one!_ Sabrina's smiling face, framed by her raven hair, popped into his head. She laughed as she adjusted her too-big glasses, but Vaughn waved the image away. _Sabrina abandoned me!_ He scowled and kicked the table to vent his anger, but only succeeded in hurting his foot. He limped over to the bed and started pulling off his cowboy boots. _Why did she leave me? I'd have given anything for her, dammit!_

"Oi! How long are you going to sulk, you moron?"

Vaughn almost screamed again, but he managed to stop himself. A ghostly figure was standing right in front of him, fists on its hips, glaring at him. It was Taro again. Vaughn stared. "Taro? Is that really–"

"Of course it's really me!" he–it–whatever–snapped. "Who did you think I was?"

Vaughn glanced at the thermos. _Something must have been wrong with the porridge . . . _

See-through fingers snapped in front of his face, and he jumped. "Hey, pay attention!" the spirit shouted. "What I'm about to tell you will save your soul!"

Vaughn squinted, annoyed. "My what?"

"Your soul." There was a brief pause as Vaughn raised an eyebrow. Taro cleared his throat. "Your __!" he screamed.

"Okay, I get it, but from what?"

"From yourself!"

"Cut to the chase, old man."

Taro sighed. "Fine. For the past 15 years, you've been an antisocial, grumpy, grouchy, loner cowboy, and a tightfisted hand at the grindstone, to boot."

"Hey, I resent that!" Vaughn usually thought of himself as cool and distant with a good head for business. It sounded better.

"And as for your attitude toward the Starry Night . . . " Taro trailed off, shaking his head. "It's abominable."

Vaughn scowled and looked away. "What do you want?"

"If your attitude doesn't change soon, you'll be eternally cursed to spend your afterlife wandering the world, trying to do good deeds but being unable to help anyone!"

"Why would I want to do that?"

Tar shrugged. "It's how it works up there. Listen. There's still time. You can still be saved."

"Great," Vaughn said sarcastically.

"You'll be visited by three spirits."

Vaughn blanched. "Including you?" he asked hopefully.

"No, three ghosts and me . . . or four ghosts including me . . . or . . . wait, that's . . . " Taro seemed confused. Then he regained his composure. "Listen to them and do what they say. Or else!"

Vaughn groaned. This was not how he'd been planning to spend his evening.

"The first ghost will be here soon, so I'd better be going," Taro sang, floating toward the window.

"Wait!" Vaughn cried, jumping up. "What will the ghosts be doing?"

"You'll see" was the only reply he got before Taro passed through the window and disappeared. Vaughn rushed to the window, but there was nobody there.

Then there was a knock on the door. "Vaughn, are you okay in there?" came Chelsea's voice.

Vaughn, never taking his eyes off the window, backed up to the door and opened it. Chelsea was standing there in her pyjamas, without her favourite red bandana, blinking her big brown eyes sleepily in the light.

He felt his mouth go dry as he nodded. "Y-yeah, I'm fine."

They both stood there awkwardly for a minute, fidgeting. Then Chelsea mumbled something incomprehensible and wandered back into her room. Vaughn watched her go, then closed the door. _That was weird,_ he thought. The whole evening had been weird. Vaughn decided to put it out of his head. He changed into his pyjamas–pale blue with an embroidered cow on the left breast, a present from Julia a few years ago–and climbed into bed, drawing the curtains around him.

* * *

**So, what was the line from the novella? If you said:  
"a tightfisted hand at the grindstone"  
then you may reward yourself with a cookie! Thanks for reading! Please review, and I'll see you tomorrow!  
~Ed**


	2. Stave 2: Shea, the First of the Spirits

**Ohwowyougaiz. Thanks for the reviews! *passes out virtual cookies*  
This was fun to write, just because Shea's in it. 3 I love Shea. He's so adorable!  
Aaaaaaanyway, I forgot to say last time, I do actually own Joseph, since rivals can't have kids in this game. But that's it. Nothing else. (Although how cool would it be to own _A Christmas Carol_?)  
It's that time again, folks: Spot the Line From the Original Novella! (I think I called it something else last time, but whatever.) I think there's just the one line that stayed exactly the same.  
Well, enjoy, and please review!**

Vaughn tossed and turned and couldn't sleep. Taro's words kept swirling around in his head. _Three spirits...you can still be saved...antisocial...how long are you going to sulk...or else!_

Finally, he sat up and sighed. "This is stupid," he muttered to himself. "I don't see any ghosts!"

The gingerbread clock on the room's table struck one o'clock. _That's weird,_ he thought, _I don't remember it ringing for twelve._

Suddenly the curtain was ripped back and a blazing torch was in his face. Vaughn screamed again, then stuffed a fist in his mouth, so he didn't wake Chelsea again. The torch moved back and a curious, tanned face was in its place. The markings on it seemed to glow in the torchlight.

Vaughn relaxed slightly. "Is that you, Shea?"

Shea grinned. "Vaughn recognize! Shea happy!"

"That's great, Shea...now get out of my face!"

Shea bounced back, allowing Vaughn to get up. Shea was wearing his normal jungle outfit–tiger striped loincloth, boots, and gloves–but there was something different about him, besides the fact that he was holding a flaming stick. Vaughn looked him over carefully. His markings were still on his face and shoulders, he still had his crazy hair...then it hit him. "Shea, you're see-through!"

Shea looked down at himself, then shrugged and looked back at Vaughn. "Yes. What Vaughn so surprised at?"

"Are you...dead? Like, a ghost?"

He shook his head. "No. Took this form to not scare Vaughn. Really Ghost of Starry Night Past!" He grabbed Vaughn's wrist. "Go now. Lots to show, lots to see."

Vaughn stood up and followed Shea, or the ghost, or whatever, a little warily, towards the window. It opened on its own, and Vaughn swallowed visibly. "Th-the window's a little high up, Shea...just because you can float doesn't mean I can!"

Shea shrugged. "Vaughn picky. Fine, here." He laid his hand over Vaughn's heart, where the embroidered cow was. The cow glowed a little. "Now Vaughn no fall. Come!"

He grabbed Vaughn and dragged him out the window. Vaughn yelled something incomprehensible, then realized that he wasn't falling. He stared, dumbfounded, at the ground a few feet below him. "Wh-whoa..."

"Let's go!" Shea said impatiently. "Shea not have all night!" He grabbed Vaughn's arm again and pulled him towards the edge of the island. They flew over the ocean in seconds, and all at once they were in a place Vaughn immediately recognized.

They landed and the cowboy stood there, gaping, for a few seconds before he snapped out of it. They were standing in front of a small, white house, with light blue trim and a black shingled roof. The door matched the trim, and all the houses next to it looked similar, but with different coloured trim. There was a light dusting of snow on the ground, and though it crunched under Vaughn's bare feet, he didn't feel the cold. The snow was on the house, too, making the porch, roof, windowsills, and shutters look like someone had dumped a bag of icing sugar on it.

Vaughn glanced at Shea and saw that he was watching him. "Vaughn know house, yes?"

"I lived here when I was a kid," he whispered, partly in awe, partly in fear that speaking would shatter the snowy silence around them. "With Mom and Dad..."

"Let's go in!" Shea said, grabbing Vaughn again and pulling him through the front door, without opening it. Vaughn braced himself, but they passed through without incident. The inside was just like he'd remembered it too; there was the sofa he'd often fallen asleep on, and the fireplace was blazing away like always. The wooden floor was covered by the ancient rug his grandmother had given them for Starry Night before Vaughn was even born, an ugly thing, but Vaughn looked at it now with joy. To the right was the kitchen, and Vaughn felt himself choke up when he saw who was in it.

"Mom?" he said quietly.

She turned around and smiled. She was younger than he remembered; her long silver hair was straight and shiny; her red plaid dress covered by the lacy white apron he had always known. She never went anywhere without that apron. She was holding a mixing bowl and she had batter on her face, but she was laughing and smiling. Vaughn couldn't remember a time when she wasn't.

"Vaughn!" she said.

His heart leapt and he started towards her, but a little boy with his hair and eyes went streaking past him and attached himself to her leg. "Hi Mommy!"

Vaughn stopped in mid-stride, one arm stretched out towards them. He felt a little piece of his heart break off inside. Shea put his hand on Vaughn's shoulder. "They can't see or hear Vaughn and Shea. This is past, and cannot change." He paused. "Vaughn shouldn't be living in it, either."

"I'm not–!" Vaughn started to protest, but he was interrupted by the door slamming open and swinging through him. A big man was standing there, with a huge bushy beard and sparkling purple eyes. He looked for all the world like a lumberjack, what with his giant coat and boots, but instead of an axe over his shoulder, he was carrying a long parcel wrapped in red paper.

"Where's my boy?" he boomed.

"Daddy!" the younger Vaughn cried, as the giant stomped through the front door, set down the package, and picked up his son.

Vaughn felt like crying again. He saw the three of them laughing, and realized he missed them. How long had it been since he'd seen them? A year? Two? Ten? Time seemed immemorial to Vaughn.

He heard more laughter from behind him and realized that Shea was laughing, too. "What are you laughing at, jungle boy?" he snapped, wiping his wet eyes.

"Laughter contage–contu–comup–catching," Shea explained, wiping the tears of laughter from his own eyes. "Why Vaughn sad? Should be happy, yes?" There was no response from the silver-haired man, who was watching the happy family–_his_ happy family. Shea sighed. "Okay, let's move on now."

Vaughn whirled. "What? No! I want to stay!"

"Cannot stay. Lots more to see. Come!" Shea grabbed Vaughn's elbow, and they flew off, Vaughn's eyes never leaving the house until it was out of sight.

They flew through the streets, and Vaughn could recognize them all. He knew every house, street sign, shop, and every face. But as they passed these things, time seemed to pass as well, and by the time they landed, everything and everyone had aged at least ten years.

The two of them were next to a particularly slippery-looking patch of ice on a cobblestone road. Little kids, who usually would slide on this ice, nervously went around it so as not to slip and fall. One boy bravely stepped onto the ice, then immediately turned tail and ran.

Vaughn swallowed as he knew what was coming. Sure enough, there he was, as a teenager, walking down the street, his arms full of packages and his nose in a book. The adult Vaughn looked away as the teenage Vaughn reached the ice, and, not being able to see where he was going, slipped and fell. He tried to get up and gather his scattered packages, but the ice was too slippery, and he kept falling down again.

"Hey, do you want some help?"

Teenage Vaughn looked up at the voice, and so did the adult version. There was a girl next to the fallen teen, looking down at him with a small grin on her face. She offered a gloved hand, and the boy took it. The two of them picked up the fallen items, and then the boy realized that his hand was bleeding.

"You must have scraped it when you fell," the girl said. She reached into the pack on her back and pulled out a strip of cloth. "Here, let me give you a hand."

They laughed at the pun as she bandaged him up, then she fastened the bandage with a bandaid. Vaughn walked over to his younger self for a closer look. The bandaid had little cows on it.

"I remember," Vaughn said suddenly. Shea raised a confused eyebrow and cocked his head to the side. "This is the reason I started liking animals. I wanted to make it up to her, but she said–"

"Just repay the cows on the bandage," the girl laughed. Obviously, the teenage boy had asked her to let him repay her.

"Chelsea! Where are you?" the voice of a young woman rang out.

The girl grimaced. "Oops. I'd better go! Bye!" And she ran off, her long brown hair bouncing behind her.

Vaughn of the present gaped. "Th-that was–"

"Chelsea. Yes." Shea smiled up at him. "Chelsea is strong, yes?"

Vaughn nodded. "Y-yeah..."

Shea laughed as he took his charge's arm again. "Vaughn blushing!"

"I am not!" the red-faced cowboy snapped as they flew off into the night again.

The next place they visited was from a much more recent past; they were on Sprout Island. It was Winter 23, and Vaughn was standing outside Regis's mansion. Both Vaughns were. One, from the present, was watching the other, from the past, who appeared to be psyching himself up for something.

"You can do this," the slightly younger Vaughn muttered to himself. "All you have to do is go in there, and say, 'Do you want to spend Starry Night with me?' That's it, right? Nothing to it. Just open the door..." But he didn't open the door, not for a full five minutes. Shea made impatient comments about how slow Vaughn was, but Vaughn shushed him, and followed himself inside.

"Sabrina? Are you home?" he asked, walking into the mansion. Sabrina poked her head out of the library. "Hi, Sabrina!"

"Oh, hello Vaughn!" Sabrina answered, turning a little pink. "What is it?"

"Um..." Vaughn paused, then said what he wanted to say very fast. "Doyouwanttospendthe-StarryNightFestivalwithme?"

It seemed to take Sabrina a second to figure out what he'd said, but then she smiled and nodded. "Yes! I would!"

Vaughn relaxed; he hadn't realized that he'd tensed up. Shea laughed at him. "Only a couple more stops," he said, dragging Vaughn away. The next place they went was still on Sprout Island, but this time they were on the long dock off the East side of the island. There was the boat that Vaughn took to the islands, and there was Vaughn, walking back and forth along the dock. He was reading a clipboard and mumbling things like, "Six chickens," and "Cat, check, plus ten crates of animal feed." He was completely absorbed in his work.

"Vaughn! Welcome back!" Both Vaughns and Shea turned to see who had spoken. It was Sabrina, running down the dock as fast as her long skirt would let her. When she reached him, she giggled. "Guess what!" He shook his head. "I'm getting married!"

Vaughn nearly dropped his clipboard. "Wh-what? To who?"

Sabrina blushed and looked down. "Mark. He asked me on Thursday."

Vaughn refused to meet her eyes. "I see. Well, congratulations." Even as he heard himself say the words, Vaughn of the present felt a lump form in his throat. "I hope you'll be very happy together."

Sabrina seemed to be blind to the fact that he was obviously upset, and smiled even more. "Thank you! I have to go now; Happy Starry Night!" And she skipped off.

Shea inspected Vaughn's face. Seeming to find what he was looking at satisfactory, he nodded. "All right. Last stop." Instead of flying off like usual, the scene around them faded into another: it was the café. Sabrina and Chelsea were sitting at the middle table, talking and laughing.

"Congratulations, Sabrina!" Chelsea laughed, raising her Hot Milk in a toast. "I can't believe you're actually getting married! I'm so jealous."

Sabrina returned the laugh and gesture. "I know, I can hardly believe it myself. It just happened so fast..."

"Although I always thought you were going to marry Vaughn," Chelsea said. "Why'd you pick Mark instead?"

Sabrina paused, and looked around to see if anyone else was listening. Denny, the only other patron, took the hint and left. Sabrina leant in to whisper to Chelsea. Vaughn, against his better judgement but Shea was making threatening motions with his torch, walked over to listen as well.

"Honestly, it's because I don't really think that Vaughn loves me," she said quietly. Chelsea leant back, surprised. "He likes gold, and animals, but I don't feel like there's enough room in his heart for me."

"But..." Chelsea started to protest, but the smaller girl shook her head.

"I figured it out a few seasons ago," she sighed. "I went to say hello to him and he mumbled something about sheep." Vaughn remembered that. "And then a few weeks ago, he didn't even acknowledge my being there. I stood right in front of him for five minutes, and all he could see was that stupid clipboard!" This obviously upset her, as she banged the table with her hand to make the point. Sabrina was the least violent girl Vaughn knew. If she was hitting tables, she was very upset.

Chelsea tried to comfort her, but Sabrina gathered herself up. "I'm okay. Then Mark and I got talking, and realized how much we have in common. Friendship grew into something more, and..." She shrugged and smiled. "Now we're getting married soon!"

Chelsea hugged her friend, but Vaughn couldn't bear to see the spectacle anymore, and he hurried out of the café. Shea followed, and lifted his torch to illuminate Vaughn's features. While they were in the café, night had fallen. The tears on his face glistened in the sudden light. He glared at Shea. "Why did you show me that?"

Shea shrugged, completely impartial to the events around them. "These are but shadows of things that have been. They are what they are, do not blame me!"

Barely registering that he was speaking with perfect grammar, Vaughn growled and grabbed Shea's shoulders. "Get me out of here, right now!" When Shea made no movement to do so, Vaughn became even more angry, and in a fit of anger, he grabbed the torch Shea had been carrying and plunged it into a snowbank. Then everything went dark, and Vaughn felt himself falling.

* * *

**So, what was the line? If you said:  
"These are but shadows of things that have been. They are what they are, do not blame me!"  
then you were right! Congrazzles!  
Please review, and I'll see you next time!  
~Ed**


	3. Stave 3: Alisa, Second of the Spirits

**Okay, apparently this is actually a fairly popular fic, at least more so than some of my other ones. Wow. And I'm going to be posting one chapter a day, since the entire fic is already written. Just so you know.  
I thought I just _had_ to use Alisa at some point. I mean, she's a _nun_. Who better to teach about Starry Night than a _nun_?  
Blaaaah this chapter is so fluffy...  
Drum roll please! It's time for Spot the Original Line! (gah I keep changing the name...) You should know the rules by now. Good luck!  
*Disclaimer: I only own Joseph and Andrea.***

_Whump!_

Vaughn's face had met with the floor, and he realized that he had fallen out of bed. He pushed himself up and looked around. He was back in his hotel room, tangled up in the bed sheets. Untangling himself, he turned the light on so he could see the clock. It said that it was twelve fifty-nine a.m. _Well, that can't be right,_ Vaughn thought, flicking the hands to make sure they were working. _When Shea appeared, it was one in the morning! Unless I slept for a day..._ His thoughts were interrupted by the clock, ringing once to announce the time. Vaughn looked around, and, seeing no ghosts, opened the door to the hallway to see if anyone was outside, and if there was, if they knew what day it was.

As soon as he stepped into the hallway, he could hear some cheesy Starry Night tune being played. It was coming from one of the other rooms, a room with a door open and light spilling into the relative dark of the hall. He headed toward it warily, and no sooner was he within two feet of the door, then he heard a musical female voice say, "Enter, Vaughn!"

He paused, then pushed the door open. The room was so bright, he had to shield his eyes for a few seconds so he could adjust. There were Starry Night decorations all over the place: silvery, paper snowflakes, glittering golden stars, sparkling tinsel draped all over the walls. There was a large wooden music box on the table in the middle of the room, playing the song that Vaughn had heard from the hall. In the middle of all this, sitting on the table next to the music box, was a very pretty young woman with shoulder-length, pinkish hair.

Alisa smiled. "Hi, Vaughn!"

Vaughn mumbled a hello as he stumbled backwards towards the door, trying to escape. Something told him that this wasn't really Alisa. Unfortunately, before he could get there, the door slammed shut. Alisa laughed. "I'm the Ghost of Starry Night Present, but you know this form best as 'Alisa.' How was your encounter with my big brother?"

"You mean Shea?" Vaughn was at a loss to see how the two of them could be related.

"He's not really Shea, he took that form to help you...relax, I suppose. The Ghost of Starry Night Past is my brother."

Vaughn scowled and stared at the floor. The light hurt his eyes.

"So," he mumbled. "Where are we going?"

"Just for a little walk around the islands," Alisa answered happily. "Come on!" She grabbed Vaughn's wrist and headed for the window.

"Why do I get a feeling of déjà vu?" he asked, to no one in particular.

"Let's just go, already!" She threw him out the open window, then followed.

Thankfully, whatever magic Shea had used to make Vaughn fly still worked, and he didn't hit the ground. Instead, he almost careened into a tree. "Sorry!" Alisa said, because she was the one steering them. "I'm still not used to flying yet."

She took them higher, so they could see all of Sprout Island. It was daylight, and people were running about, laughing, singing, talking, and throwing snow. It was an all-island snowball fight! Vaughn laughed as he watched Lanna pelt Denny mercilessly with snow, then tackle him. Elliot, Julia, and Joseph teamed up to battle Will and Lily. Even Regis looked like he was having fun.

Then Alisa tugged on Vaughn's sleeve. "Much to see. Let's go!"

And off they went. They visited Mushroom Island, and saw Shea fishing. He pulled up a Large Fish on the end of his spear, and went running to his tent. Wada came out; it seemed as though he was visiting his son for the holiday.

"They certainly look happy," Alisa smiled. Vaughn nodded, remembering one of the memories that the ghost Shea had shown him of his family. He turned at a sound and saw Chelsea hop off Kirk's boat. Kirk was waving a fish that Chelsea had obviously just given him. Chelsea ran over and hugged Shea and Wada, handing each of them a fish. Vaughn lowered himself down just enough so he could hear them talking.

"Big fish, Chelsea!" Shea said happily, holding up the fish she'd given him. "Where you catch?"

"Mystic Islands. It took a while to land him!"

Shea looked confused. "Land?"

"Thank...you...Chelsea..." Wada mumbled, the newt in his mouth wobbling up and down as he spoke.

"No problem, Wada! It's Starry Night! We should be celebrating!" Chelsea checked her watch. "Oh, shoot, I have to go. I'll see you later!" She hugged the two men again and ran for the boat, where Kirk was waiting patiently.

Alisa tugged the back of Vaughn's shirt, and they soared away once more. This time, when they stopped, they were at the Mystic Islands. Harvest Goddess Island, to be exact. The church seemed to be busy, with almost all of the islanders headed for church. Nathan had promised a splendid sermon, just for the occasion. Once everyone was inside, a very red and out-of-breath Chelsea raced onto the island and into the church. Vaughn heard a, "Sorry I'm late!" and some laughter, then the door banged shut.

After a few moments, he heard another door slam. Vaughn looked over to see the Witch Princess stomping over to the island inhabited by her worst enemy. He glanced at Alisa, with a look that said, "Um, is this a good thing?" Alisa motioned for him to watch.

The Princess pulled something out of her cloak and dropped it into the pond. The Harvest Goddess appeared in her usual flashy manner, and, upon seeing who had made the offering, scowled. "Hello, Witch."

"Hi," Witch mumbled. "I got you something."

The Goddess looked taken aback. "You got me something? But why?"

Witch looked like she felt ridiculous saying it, but she said, "It's Starry Night, and I figured we could get along for just one day. Just one, though. Tomorrow we go back to being mortal enemies."

"Deal," the Goddess laughed. "And, I got you something, too..."

They traded boxes wrapped in paper. Witch's present was black with a red bow, while the Goddess's was white with a green bow. Witch opened hers to see...

"Rainbow Curry?" she gasped. "How did you–"

"Pierre made me an offering once, and I asked him to do me a favour," she explained. "I'm not allowed to leave my pond, and I can't really cook that well underwater." She opened the gift she'd received, and it was her turn to gasp. "Wh-where did you find a Strawberry in the middle of Winter?"

"Mark has a fridge in which nothing rots, and I asked him to save that for me," Witch mumbled, blushing something fierce. "Happy Starry Night, Goddess."

The two women hugged, and Vaughn found himself grinning in spite of himself. "That's really nice," he said.

Alisa nodded as they watched the two go back to their separate homes: the Harvest Goddess to the bottom of the pond, and the Witch Princess to her mansion. "Even they, two mortal enemies, can put aside their differences for one day," Alisa commented. Then she looked pointedly at Vaughn. "You should learn from their example."

"What do you–" Vaughn protested, but he knew what she was getting at. He shook Sabrina and Mark out of his head and huffed. "Of course you think that, you **serve** the Goddess," he muttered, folding his arms and looking away.

Alisa was about to say something, but suddenly there was the loud bang of doors opening. Church was over, and people came streaming out. Alisa pulled Vaughn away so he didn't get run over by them, and they headed over to the island that Vaughn had been avoiding for the past five years.

"Ranch Island," Alisa announced. She grabbed Vaughn by the collar as he tried to get away, and tugged him towards the window of the small cottage.

Vaughn rubbed away some of the frost on the window so he could see inside. There was Mark, **cooking**? Vaughn had never seen Mark cook in his life. He'd never heard of him entering any of the cooking contests or anything, but he supposed that he must have had to live off of **something** all those years that he'd been living alone. In the corner, a tiny girl with Sabrina's eyes and Mark's hair sat on a stool, quietly reading a book. Every now and then she'd laugh to herself, and Mark would glance over at her sadly.

Vaughn felt someone brush past him and realized that Sabrina was entering the house. He quickly slipped in behind her as she shut the door. Sabrina took the branches she was carrying to the fireplace and started building the fire up again. "It's so cold!" she exclaimed. "I worried that the cows would be cold, but they're fine."

Vaughn did a double take. He'd never thought of Sabrina as the farm girl type. The last time he'd checked, she couldn't tell a turnip from a chicken. Obviously, five years of living on the farm had been very beneficial.

Mark laughed and stirred something on the stove that smelled really good. "I hope you like Cheese Fondue!"

She giggled and kissed his cheek, taking off her long, black scarf that matched her hair. "You know I do, hon." Then she lowered her voice and glanced at the girl in the corner. "How's Andrea doing?"

"Fine," he replied, in equally hushed tones. "She hasn't had an attack for a while now. Not one cough all through the church service, remember?"

She nodded. "Yes. I was so happy; she seems to be doing much better."

"Alisa," Vaughn said cautiously. "Is something wrong with their daughter?"

"She has severe asthma," Alisa replied. "Ever since she was a baby, she would get asthma attacks. Regis has volunteered to help pay for it, but none of them want to accept his help." She sighed. "They're a stubborn family."

"Will she...I mean, is Andrea going to..." The word got stuck in Vaughn's throat, but Alisa understood.

"If these shadows remain unaltered by the future, the child might die," the nun confirmed. Vaughn looked back at the happy family, sitting down to dinner.

They dipped bread in the pot in the middle of the table, then Mark brought out some chopped boiled vegetables to dip as well. Potatoes, carrots, onions, and even a little bit of fish. Then Mark stood up.

"I propose some toasts," he declared. Sabrina raised her wine and Andrea picked up her grape juice. "First, to Regis! Thanks to him for always wanting to help us out!" They clinked glasses and sipped. "Next, to the Harvest Goddess, for the obvious reason." _Clink! Sip..._

"And finally," Sabrina interrupted, standing up. "To Vaughn." Vaughn did another double take. "May he find happiness in the life he's chosen." _Clink! Sip..._

Vaughn turned away, and as he turned, the scene changed to that of Felicia's house. Elliot, Julia, Felicia, and Joseph were eating dinner too; Stir-Fried Veggies, Spaghetti, and Tomato Juice. Joseph was pushing his Stir-Fry around his plate. "I wish Uncle Vaughn were here," he said suddenly. Vaughn was taken aback; he hadn't expected even Joseph to want his presence anywhere.

"I know, honey," Julia said, patting his back. "But he's made his choice. Uncle Vaughn is...well, he doesn't much like the company of others." She glanced at Elliot. "It's not your fault, Joey."

Joseph pouted and went back to pushing veggies around his plate.

Alisa tugged his arm. "One last stop, then my time is up." Vaughn noticed that she was becoming see through, and opened his mouth to say something, but he didn't have time to, because she had pulled him through the wall. But instead of being out in the cold, he found himself in his room in the hotel, looking at himself lying on his bed, absorbed in some book or other.

He stared. "Why are we here?"

"Wait for it," Alisa whispered, pointing at the door.

It opened slowly, with a loud creak, and Chelsea's familiar red bandana appeared round the frame. "Hi, Vaughn!" she chirped. "How are you? Happy Starry Night!"

He looked up from his reading, grunted, and buried his nose in the hardcover again.

Chelsea was not easily deterred, however, and she pulled the book away. "I brought you something!"

Vaughn on the bed sighed and sat up. Chelsea seemed to take this as a good sign, and pulled a poorly wrapped package from behind her back. "Ta-daa!" The invisible Vaughn walked around to watch himself tear off the paper and open the box. He gasped, but the other Vaughn didn't. Inside was an entire meal of some of his favourite things! Grilled Mushrooms, Rolled Omelet, Strawberry Milk, and Pudding. Vaughn had never seen so many good foods in one place before! He glanced at himself to see how he was reacting. There was a perfectly stony look on his face.

"You don't have to say anything, but eat it before it gets cold!" The farmer skipped out of the room, and invisible-Vaughn followed.

Once outside, Chelsea's whole demeanor changed. She slumped down the wall and started to cry. Vaughn reached out to her, but his hands passed through and he pulled back sharply. _Is this what Taro meant when he said I'd want to help but I wouldn't be able to?_

"Dammit, Vaughn," she sniffled. "You could've at least said something!"

There was a small hand on Vaughn's shoulder. He turned to see Alisa. She was almost completely see through now, and she smiled. "It's time for me to go," she said simply.

"But–!" Vaughn protested. She laughed.

"Sad to see me go? Don't be. I'm just leaving this world. My life here is very short. It ends at the last stroke of twelve."

The grandfather clock in the front foyer of the hotel, a recent addition, struck a booming note. Alisa touched Vaughn's heart with her finger. "Remember what my brother and I have taught you," she said. "It will come in handy for your next visitor." As the clock struck again, she pointed at Chelsea, still crying in front of Vaughn's room. "Remember that what you do hurts others too." The clock continued to ring out.

Vaughn grabbed her arm. "Wait! I need to know, how do I change all this?"

Alisa smiled as she disappeared in a shower of red and blue sparks. _You'll know,_ her voice said, inside his head.

Chelsea disappeared and the hallway became dark. And Vaughn became aware of the shadow of a foreboding, hooded figure standing in front of him, shrouded in darkness.

* * *

**So, what was the original line? If you guessed  
"If these shadows remain unaltered by the future, the child may die"  
then you're right! (Except for some reason the word 'future' is capitalized in the original...)  
Anyway, like it? Hate it? Couldn't care less? Whatever your opinion, please review! Constructive critisism is at the top of my Christmas Wish List!**


	4. Stave 4: Witch Princess, Final Spirit

**First of all, thank you for the reviews. Don't hate on Vaughn too badly please, remembering that one of his actual lines in the game is 'you're annoying, go away' or something to that effect. :3 But we all love our antisocial cowboy, right? Right?  
Anyway, I picked the Witch Princess to play the Ghost of Starry Nights Yet to Come because she had a hood to hide behind. Seriously, that was the original reason for picking her. And somehow it evolved until it just seemed to fit. And yes, spirits can get sick. Don't ask.  
A rather grumpy version of the GoCF, huh? Meh.  
And I've given up on sticking with one name for the game, so it's now Find the Quote! Woo!  
*Disclaimer: I own Joseph and Andrea, but that's it. Sadly. Well, I do own two copies of _A Christmas Carol_...***

The figure stood there, not moving, and even though its face was covered, Vaughn got the distinct impression that it was looking at him.

He slowly approached it. "Um, are you the final ghost?" There was no response. "I'm assuming so. If the last two were the Ghosts of Starry Nights Past and Present, are you the Ghost of Starry Night Future?" Silence still from the spirit. Then Vaughn caught a glimpse of long, wavy blonde hair. "Let me guess, you've taken the form of the Witch Princess so you don't freak me out too much, right?"

The Princess flipped back her hood and glared at Vaughn. "No, I really _am_ the Witch Princess!" Vaughn jumped. "I'm doing this as a favour to the real Ghost of Starry Night Future. He's come down with something, and he needed someone to take his place. The other spirits were all busy, so he turned to me."

_Spirits can get sick?_ Vaughn thought. "I know you, Witch. You wouldn't do something if there wasn't something in it for you. What is it?"

"Nothing! Just...that little brat has something on me and I couldn't refuse." Vaughn laughed. "It's not funny!" she snapped. "Now, the rules dictate that the Ghost of Starry Nights Yet To Come can't speak. I can only gesture and point and stuff, and once I put my hood back up, I can't talk to you again. So don't start pestering me with questions, because I don't give a crap!" She gave him one last glare, then flapped her hood back up.

He sighed. "Okay, then...gesture and point and stuff. Where are we going?"

She pointed towards the door of the hotel. He slowly walked towards it, opened it, and stepped out. Instead of the dark and cold of Sprout Island, he saw the inside of the Diner, where Denny, Lanna, and Chelsea were partying it up. They were laughing and having fun, but something seemed different. Chelsea looked tired, her eyes bloodshot and her hair unkempt. Finally, she had to prop her head up to stay awake.

"Chelsea, you look absolutely exhausted!" Lanna exclaimed. "You've been working far too hard. Why don't you take the day off tomorrow?"

Chelsea shook her head. "No way. I need to work hard...it's all that matters in this life, is how hard you work..."

"But you're killing yourself!" Denny protested.

"Naw...you know what? Vaughn taught me that. It's cause of him that I learned that all there is to life is work."

Vaughn's jaw dropped and his heart broke as Chelsea stood up and raised her juice. "So here's to Vaughn...that workaholic sonofa–"

And then she collapsed into sleep. Vaughn hadn't realized that there were tears in his eyes. The Princess tapped him on the shoulder and pointed to the door. Vaughn left quickly, not looking back because he felt that if he did, he might cry. He was actually outside the Diner this time, and there were Will, Chen, and Gannon standing around, chatting.

_What an odd grouping,_ Vaughn thought.

"So he's finally bit the dust, huh?" Gannon laughed. "Took him a while."

"So he did," Chen agreed. "How ironic, on Starry Night. He always did hate it. By the way, does anyone know when the funeral is?"

"Who cares?" Will piped up. "No one's going to it, except for Nathan and Alisa of course."

"Well, it's probably as cheaply done as possible; you know how he was." Chen again. "I, personally, wouldn't mind going." The other two gave him looks of surprise. "If lunch was provided!" The three men burst into laughter.

"Did you hear how he died?" Will chuckled. "Overwork. He worked himself to death!" They all roared with laughter again. "Of course he did, he was always 'work this' and 'money that.' It's no wonder he reached a sad end like that!"

"Witch," Vaughn said slowly, "who were they talking about?" It sounded uncannily like something someone would say about him, but he had to be sure.

They appeared in a dark room with simply a bed furnishing it. There was a body lying on the bed, obscured by the covers. Vaughn gulped. "Is this the man..." He glanced at the Witch, who nodded and pointed at the man's face. Vaughn approached it, but he couldn't bring himself to move the blanket. "No, I can't," he snapped. "I can't! And I don't want to! Please, take me from here! Let's go!" He squeezed his eyes shut and, when he opened them again, he was still in the room. "Please, Witch, let's go!" She still didn't move. "At least show me someone who's upset about this man's death!"

A small projection started playing on the wall. "Joseph, it's time to go," called the image of Julia. "We can't sit here all day, you know."

It was Julia, Elliot, and Joseph. They were all in the church, but while the adults were standing next to the door, Joseph seemed to be refusing to leave. He scowled at his parents. "No. I miss him, and I wish he wasn't dead! I'm just gonna stay here forever!"

"Honey, we miss him to," Julia said sympathetically, edging closer to her son. "But staying here won't bring him back." Joseph turned away and Julia sighed. "You know what kind of person he liked most of all?" she asked. Vaughn's nephew shook his head. "Hard workers. If you work hard, I'm sure he'll be with you in spirit."

Joseph didn't move for a moment. Then he pouted and stood up.

Vaughn gulped as the images vanished. He felt stronger than ever that the man on the bed was him. He turned to Witch. "That doesn't make me feel much better."

The Princess shrugged in a manner that suggested that it wasn't supposed to, then pointed to the door of the room. Vaughn walked out it and found himself in Mark's house. Sabrina was sitting quietly on her bed, looking at a picture frame. Vaughn cautiously crept across the floor to see what was in it, but a sudden noise from the direction of the door caught his attention. He turned to see that Mark had entered, carrying a brown paper bag with groceries in it. He dumped it on the kitchen counter halfheartedly, then wandered over to his wife. Vaughn watched him walk by, wondering what was going on. Mark sat down next to Sabrina and looked at the picture she was holding. Then he hugged her sadly, and they both started to cry, Sabrina holding the frame to her chest.

After a bit, they regained control of themselves, and Mark stood up. "I got some groceries on the way home from church," he mumbled, his deep voice sounding louder than usual in the silence. "I wish you'd have gone, Sabrina." He glanced at her, and she shook her head, clutching the frame harder. "Andrea's grave is doing fine," he continued. "I put some pretty stones by it today. She had the same tastes as you." He chuckled. "She would have liked the service," he continued. "You would have too. Nathan's sermon gets better every year."

Vaughn had stopped listening at the words 'Andrea's grave.' He'd broken down into sobs, feeling that it was somehow his fault. He looked to the Witch Princess for comfort, but she simply stood there stoically, feeling nothing and saying nothing. She wasn't even looking at him. She simply pointed to the scene they were watching, indicating that he should pay attention.

"We should have listened to Father," Sabrina said, her voice cracking. "He was right. If only we'd–"

"Dammit, Sabrina, regretting not borrowing money from Regis won't bring Andrea back!" Mark choked out. He was in the kitchen now, leaning on the counter. Vaughn could see that he was grabbing the edge of the wood in a death grip. "Andrea's gone now. I know we have to accept that..." He pounded the counter. "But dammit, I don't want to!"

Sabrina began to cry again. Vaughn wanted to hit Mark for making her cry, but he knew it would just pass through. Mark seemed to calm down a little and he stood back up. "I'm sorry, Sabrina," he sighed. There was a brief, awkward silence. "I'm going to go feed the...the cows," he mumbled, slouching towards the door and banging it shut behind him.

Vaughn glanced at Sabrina, and though his heart ached for her, he knew that he couldn't do anything. _I'm sure this is what Taro meant,_ he thought. _If I don't change my ways, I'm going to have to deal with scenes like this every day, and be unable to help stop them..._ Vaughn hadn't realized that he was crying until he tried to speak and his voice broke. "Witch," he croaked. He swallowed and tried again. "Witch," he repeated, "I have to know...who was the horrible man that they were talking about?"

And suddenly they were in the small graveyard beside the church. There were only a few tombstones there: Taro, Andrea, Halia (the woman who ran the café), and one other, that was covered in snow. It seemed that no one had visited it for a long time. Vaughn gulped and reached towards the stone to wipe off the snow. Then he paused and turned to his ghostly guide. "Witch," he said, his voice still shaking, "I know you aren't supposed to talk, but tell me this: is this future set in stone? Or can the events of the present change it?" The Princess didn't answer. "Please, I have to know! I can change this with my actions, right? I want to know, I need to know! Please..." Still nothing. She pointed at the grave marker. He reached towards it slowly, but wiped the snow off quickly to get it over with. The name was carved shakily, like the person who'd carved it had been very unskilled, but Vaughn could clearly read his own name.

"No!" he shouted, recoiling back and falling into the snow. He'd suspected it, of course, but actually knowing was still shocking and scary. "No, it...it can't...I..." He looked up at the Witch Princess. "Tell me," he pleaded. "Tell me I can change this! I can, can't I? I know I can! Please! Tell me there's still some hope!" The Princess's finger, still pointing, shook a little. "I'll honour the holiday forever, and not shut it out! I promise! I'll keep the lessons that the spirits have taught me near and dear to my heart; I won't forget them! You must believe me!" he cried, grabbing her arm. She tried to shake him off, but he wouldn't let go. "Witch! Please!" He looked up, and realized that he was at such an angle that he could see under her hood. She was crying, too.

"I can't promise," she whispered. "It all depends on your decision."

"But I'll change! I won't be the Vaughn I used to be; in fact I'm already a different person! Please tell me I can sponge away the writing on that stone!"

The Witch Princess looked away, and suddenly she expanded and grew into blue curtains.

* * *

**And the line is...*drumroll*  
"tell me I can sponge away the writing on that stone!"  
If you guessed right, congratulations! (And in regards to Witchy's behaviour at the end, in the actual book, it says "The kind hand trembled." I just took it a little further so she didn't turn into some emotionless Vulcan or something. :S)  
Thanks for reading, and please review!**


	5. Stave 5: The End

**Season's Greetings! This is a lot later in the day than planned, but I woke up late this morning, and then I completely forgot about this, and blah blah blah...  
This is the final installment in _A Starry Night Song_. Thanks so much to those of you who reviewed (you know who you are) and gave constructive critisism (again, you know who you are :D). It means a lot to me; thank you!  
And yeah, Vaughn's very OOC in this chapter. (Gee, I wonder why.) I was really tempted to have him pull a Scrooge McDuck and have him run around town in his pyjamas, slippers, and hat, but, well, that would have been entirely too silly. (Because, you know, the rest of the chapter is _completely serious_. Yeah.) This chapter contains 100% of your daily dose of fluff. Seriously, it's like a pillow factory exploded in here. It's _that fluffy_.  
This is the only stave without a quote from the original. Sorry, no game today!**

The curtains seemed familiar...Vaughn squinted, and realized they were his bed curtains. He cried out for joy and snuggled his face into them. He was back! Home! He'd never felt so good!

He jumped out of bed and raced into the hall. "Good morning, Carol!" he sang, rushing to the front desk.

Carol yawned sleepily. "Morning. You're certainly an eager beaver this morning. Checking out already? It's only Monday."

Something dawned on Vaughn. "Only Monday? It's Starry Night?"

She shrugged. "Well, it will be tonight, but yeah."

His face brightened, and he started giggling. Carol looked at him like he had two heads. Vaughn _didn't giggle_. It just _wasn't done_. He skipped back into his room, giggling and mumbling to himself. Carol debated calling for assistance, but decided Vaughn was just in an uncharacteristically good mood and said 'good morning' to Karen and Popuri, who had just left their room.

Back in his room, Vaughn mumbled to himself again. "They did it all in one night! I haven't missed anything! It's amazing, it's remarkable! Spirits are great. Thank you, Spirits!" he called to no one in particular. "Oh, and the Witch Princess too!"

Karen, Popuri, and Carol looked at Vaughn's door, then shrugged and went back to chatting.

"I have to...I have to..." He looked down and realized that he was still wearing his pyjamas and he had five o'clock shadow. "I can't go out like this!" He looked around for his clothes, and saw them folded nicely in his open suitcase. "Ah, there we go."

It took him a while to change and shave, because he was constantly hopping up and down in excitement. But he finished, and raced outside for the snowball fight which he'd seen with Alisa the previous night. He was instantly pelted, but instead of yelling like the 'old' Vaughn would have done, he laughed and launched back his own volley of snow.

Completely soaked, he went back to his room to change. He leapt into his fresh clothes and charged out again, headed for the church. Everyone seemed to be going there, and it took him a while to find a good seat. He quickly put his hat on the pew next to him, and it was a good thing he did, because how else was he going to save a seat for Chelsea, who he knew would be late?

Sure enough, about five minutes after everyone else had sat down, and Nathan was about to start speaking, Chelsea rushed in. "Sorry I'm late!" she called breathlessly. Everyone laughed as she looked around for a seat. Vaughn waved her over and patted the pew where his hat was. She nodded and smiled her thanks and sat down.

Vaughn had never heard Nathan's church sermon before, but it was very nice, and he vowed to come again the next year. As he left, Chelsea pulled on his sleeve.

"Are you doing anything later?" she asked.

"Um...I'm not really sure," he answered honestly. He didn't know whether or not to take Joseph up on his offer to eat dinner with them, or if he should stay in his room so Chelsea could find him later. Then he got an idea. "Wait here for a second." He ran off and caught up to Elliot, Julia, and Joseph. "Happy Starry Night," he said from behind them.

Elliot jumped and turned. "Vaughn! Hello! Same to you!"

"Thank you." He turned to Julia. "Last night, your son asked me if I wanted to come to dinner."

"If you have other plans, that's okay," Julia said hastily.

"No no, I'd be delighted to come!" laughed Vaughn. Elliot and Julia traded a look that clearly said, 'he's gone nuts.' "I was just wondering...could I bring someone?"

Julia looked over and saw Chelsea watching them. Women's intuition kicked in, and she smirked. "Good choice, Vaughn. But she can only come if you do the dishes!"

Vaughn rolled his eyes. "Okay, fine. I'll see you around six-ish?"

They nodded and Vaughn went back over to Chelsea. "Do you want to come to Elliot and Julia's with me later? To, um, eat?" He suddenly felt very awkward and wondered if his hair looked alright, even though it was covered up by his hat.

Chelsea looked shocked for a second, then she beamed. "I love you–I mean I'd love to!"

Vaughn gulped and nodded. "Okay then."

They stood there awkwardly as everyone else filed out. Finally, there were just the two of them, Nathan, and Alisa left. Nathan tapped Vaughn on the shoulder. "Is something wrong, Vaughn?"

He turned red and shook his head wildly. "N-no! Um, I'll see you then, Chelsea!" he said, running out of the church, leaving three confused people.

_Look at me,_ he thought as he walked briskly along the boardwalk. _A grown man, blushing like a schoolgirl!_ He calmed down and decided to not let it bother him. Who would say anything, anyway? Whoever it was, he was sure it wouldn't be someone whose opinion he valued, so it wouldn't matter. _Pick your battles,_ he had heard somewhere.

Vaughn paced along the bridge to Ranch Island for about half an hour before finally walking onto the farm. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

He heard Mark say, "Just a minute, there's someone at the door," then it opened. Mark looked surprised to see Vaughn, but he welcomed him in anyway. "So what brings you here, Vaughn?" he asked as Vaughn removed his snow-encrusted boots.

"Well, I–" Vaughn realized that Regis was also there, and clammed up. Regis had always kind of scared him.

"As I was saying, Sabrina, I really wish that you'd accept my help!" Regis said to his daughter. They were sitting at the table, and talking in rather hushed tones. Vaughn saw why: Andrea was asleep in her bed, clutching a worn out plushy sheep, smiling in her sleep. "I know that Andrea is sick, and I want to help; I really don't see why you keep refusing and pushing me away!"

"Please, Father, this is Starry Night!" Sabrina protested.

"Exactly! I want to help you," Regis continued, "because it's Starry Night. Consider it a present or something. Please, I want to help my granddaughter!"

"You should let him," Vaughn piped up. Everyone looked at him, and he shrugged. "You know, he's your father, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with accepting money as a gift, especially from your family. No one wants to see your daughter suffer." He paused. "Least of all the people who care about her."

Sabrina looked at her hands in her lap. "But...I don't want to have to rely on Father..."

"And you won't have to," Regis protested. "I just want to give you enough to help you get going. I'm not going to fight your battles for you, Sabrina. I'm just going to supply some of the ammunition."

Sabrina's big eyes teared up as she hugged Regis. "Thank you, Daddy."

Vaughn watched them and felt really good for some reason. Then Mark nudged him. "Vaughn, was there something you wanted?"

He shook his head. "No, no, I think I have everything now. Thank you." He left, closing the door softly so as not to disturb the sleeping Andrea.

Vaughn glanced back at the house as he left the island and smiled. "I release you, Sabrina."

He wandered the island for a little while, watching how different people spent their holiday. Sometimes, as with Felicia and Mirabelle's gossip session, he'd observe from a distance, enjoying himself. Other times, he'd join right in, and he laughed along with Lanna and Denny in the diner. He saw Carol from the hotel shyly ask a passing Natalie to deliver a bottle of wine to Kirk. He saw Charlie playfully tug Eliza's hair ribbon, then kiss her cheek. He helped Halia, on her one day off, fix the broken table that had been bothering her for a month, and then he built a snowman in front of the hotel.

_I can't believe I was missing all of this! _he thought. _What have I been doing all this time? It feels like...I've been awakened or something. I don't even remember what the old me was like._

He headed for his room to quickly look at his finances. Holiday and new revelations or no, there was still work to be done. But he didn't really plan to spend too long at it; there was so much to be lived!

No sooner had he opened his book when he heard a knock at the door. "Come in!" he called.

Chelsea's familiar red bandana appeared round the frame. "Hi, Vaughn!" she chirped. "Happy Starry Night!"

Vaughn swallowed. He recognized this situation from his time with Alisa. _I have to do everything in my power to change the outcome!_ he vowed. "Hi, Chelsea," he replied, setting his book aside and patting the bed next to him.

"Um, thank you for inviting me to Elliot and Julia's," she mumbled, sitting down. "I know we'll be eating there, but well, it's lunchtime, and...I was thinking, do you want something to eat?"

Vaughn decided to play dumb about the gift. _What would she think if I knew she'd made food?_ "Well, sure, but the Diner's closed, and so is the Café."

"Actually..." Chelsea pulled out the box. "Here, open it."

Vaughn took the box and opened it. Sure enough, there it was: Grilled Mushrooms, Rolled Omlet, Strawberry Milk, and Pudding. He looked at it for a moment, trying to figure out what to say.

"What's the matter?" Chelsea asked. "Don't you like that stuff?"

Vaughn's head snapped up. "Uh, yeah, I love it! Just, uh...I feel kind of bad because I don't have anything...wait!" He moved the food off his lap and headed for his suitcase. "I think I have some...there it is!" He grabbed the second thermos that he always filled with Egg Soup. "Here, we can share this."

The two of them ate lunch together, talking and laughing. And after they'd finished eating, they continued to hang out. They took walks, and Chelsea taught him how to fish. They visited Wada and Shea, even though Chelsea had already seen them that morning, and Vaughn got to meet Chelsea's pet pig Muncher. They went back to the Mystic Islands, and made an offering to the Harvest Goddess.

When she appeared, the Goddess saw the two of them and smirked, reminding Vaughn of the look Julia had gotten on her face in the church earlier. "Why hello, Chelsea and Vaughn. What brings you here?" she asked innocently.

"J-just thought we should make an offering, since it's Starry Night and all," Chelsea mumbled, turning a little red. Vaughn remembered her response to him asking her to eat with them all that morning–"I love you!"–and blushed too.

"Mm-hm," the Goddess said, in that all-knowing way of hers. "Well, in that case..." As she disappeared, the bell next to the church started ringing. Nathan and Alisa rushed out to see what was going on. They saw the red-faced couple next to the pond, put two and two together, and went back inside.

"What was that all about?" Vaughn grumbled. Chelsea giggled and he gave her a little look. "What's so funny?"

He didn't get an answer, and instead they headed for Elliot and Julia's.

At the end of the meal, when Vaughn and Joseph had finally given in and eaten their Stir-Fried Veggies and Vaughn was cleaning up, Chelsea came over. "What's up, Chelsea? Everyone else is playing games in the other room."

Chelsea didn't say anything, but she gave Vaughn a little kiss on the cheek, then started drying the clean dishes. Vaughn stared at her, bringing his hand up to brush the part of his cheek that her lips had touched. She turned. "What are you staring at, silly? We have to get this cleaned up so we can go play! They're playing 'Things in a Box' next, and I own at that game!"

Vaughn smiled. He now knew the secret to life: happiness is DIY. He hugged Chelsea and picked up a plate to put away. "We'll see about that!" They laughed together.

Several weeks later.

The bell by the church rang once again, and everyone cheered and threw rice as the happy couple left the church. Vaughn laughed as the grains bounced off his face and glanced at the crowd. His parents were there; his mom crying and his dad laughing his big, booming laugh. Chelsea's folks had shown up too. Vaughn had discovered that Chelsea had her dad's hair and eyes, but her mother's build and fashion sense. Chelsea herself looked gorgeous in a white, sleeveless dress with a white ribbon collar tied in a bow at the back of her neck, and a hem that came all the way down to the ground. Her hair was done up in wavy curls, with a lacy headband and white flowers. Vaughn didn't look too bad himself, in a rented black tuxedo with a silver tie that matched his hair.

"Give her a smooch, Vaughn!" Denny yelled. Lanna elbowed him, hard.

Vaughn and Chelsea laughed. Vaughn gave her a peck on the cheek, which she then returned. Then they clasped hands and ran to the boat, where Kirk was waiting.

On the way there, Vaughn glanced at the sky. He could have sworn that he saw Taro's smiling, self-satisfied face, and heard him say, _You done good, Vaughn. You done good._

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**Thanks once again! Happy Holidays, and please review! :3**


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